Bluenose – New Zealand, Bottom Longlines

Bluenose (or Antarctic Butterfish) is a large fish, growing to over 50 kg, found in temperate waters of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and South America. They are particularly vulnerable to fishing pressure because they are long lived, mature late, and exhibit schooling and spawning aggregation behaviors that make them easy to catch.

Bluenose sold in the U.S. primarily comes from New Zealand. Bluenose in New Zealand is at a medium abundance level.

Bluenose are caught with several gear types. Bottom longlines result in the capture of seabirds, including vulnerable albatrosses and petrels. Bottom longlines cause moderate damage to seaflloor habitats.

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Fish Key:

Species has a combination of problems such as overfishing, high bycatch, and poor management.

Some problems exist with this species' status or catch methods, or information is insufficient for evaluating.

Species is relatively abundant, and fishing methods cause little damage to habitat and other wildlife.

A fishery targeting this species has been certified as sustainable and well managed to the Marine Stewardship Council's environmental standard. Learn more at http://www.msc.org.

These fish contain levels of mercury or PCBs that may pose a health risk to adults and children. Our source of information is http://seafood.edf.org/. We also recommend that you check local advisories.